Ubuntu logo on the store window. (Photo: Rasheed Z. Ajamu)

Almost four years ago, Germantown native Steven C.W. Taylor, launched a fine art gallery with hopes of bringing small pieces of the world to the neighborhood.

In 2021, Taylor told the Germantown Info Hub, “I [believe] that people have shared so much with me, so part of the gallery experience that I wanted people to have was sharing a part of me.”

Taylor has done that, becoming a space for neighbors — and beyond — to learn, grow, and discover the Ubuntu philosophy: “I am because you are.”

However, as of Sunday, February 24, Taylor has revealed that he will need support from the community at large to move forward. 

“I’ve wrestled back and forth about sharing this,” Taylor said in his recent Instagram post. “Ubuntu needs support.”

The gallery owner shares that for the past few years, he has been able to bring grand experiences to the neighborhood, whether it be through his own collections (which is how he started the space) or the current Philadelphia Fellowship for Black Artists Annual Exhibition in the space, many of these things have been “from the muscle.”

He says he’s been running up credit cards, taking out loans, and much more to sustain the space as far as he has. 

“It’s been challenging as an art space dedicated to community,” Taylor said. “With that said, we’re asking for support. Not just charity, but legitimate support.”

And how does that look? 

For the Ubuntu owner, that’s commitment, investment, and action, which could look at several ways, including collecting art from the gallery, hosting an event in the space, making a direct contribution, as well as spreading the word about the gallery.

Taylor believes Ubuntu has become a mecca for critical thought, discussion, and genuine connection. And according to some neighbors, like Stephanye Watts, he’s right.

Watts is Historic Germantown’s Community Engagement Coordinator, which includes the task of coordinating and organizing the Young Friends of Wyck community group. Ubuntu was a site for their first-ever pop-up/meet-up series, which helps bridge the same support Taylor seeks.

“Because your neighborhood is your world, you wanna make sure you’re investing in it… in a real way,” Watts told the Germantown Info Hub.

Watts was deeply saddened by the announcement, saying she’s been going to Ubuntu since it opened. She notes that he also offers a great casual conversation alongside Taylor’s extraordinary arts and experiences, which she’s experienced during random drop-ins.

Watts believes this is one of the more significant issues that she sees within Germantown: the sustainability of small businesses, specifically the Black ones. She says that in a neighborhood where the majority is Black folks, that should be represented in the business demographic.

She says the possible loss of one is a loss overall and potentially “scary.”

As a person who lived in Brooklyn and was also part of the art scene, she recognizes the hard work to sustain within that sector – especially as a Black entity within a rapidly changing landscape.

“I’m still living in shock of watching Brooklyn change,” she said, pointing out the harsh realities of displaced culture — and people — as a direct result of gentrification. 

Watts’ sentiments resemble the spirit of Ubuntu, reminding neighbors that the possibility of losing this gallery wouldn’t just be Taylor’s burden, but a hindrance on Germantown’s robust history of being a cultural haven for Black creativity and brilliance.

I remember growing up and going to different cultural businesses in Germantown like a Sanchez just be here chilling. Ursula Rucker might pop out and do a little poem on the calm, y’know? Seeing art shows and galleries and even seeing people selling work on the street. Germantown has always been a hub for artistry – specifically Black artistry – so I would hate to see a part of that die.

Watts uplifts Taylor’s mission to bring the world to Germantown, calling it a hyperlocal “escape.” She says that losing the space could strip the inquisitive nature people should have about the world that enables the creation and exploration of new ideas.

“I have friends who were 30 years old, who hadn’t been on a plane or out of Philly whatsoever,” exclaimed Watts. She says while some people may not want to travel, spaces like Ubuntu provide a gateway to a new world with endless possibilities.

“[Ubuntu] is an amazing place,” Taylor said. “The conversations that it facilitates, the smiles that it creates. People can walk in this space and leave this space feeling rejuvenated, refreshed, and inspired to dream their biggest dreams.”

He says the gallery is what happens when a person “dreams their very largest and biggest dreams.”

For more on Ubuntu’s future — or to support — visit www.ubuntufa.com. You can also follow them on Instagram at @ubuntufineart.